Sold an item, package first undeliverable as addressed, then forwarded, now missing contents.

[sneezlelefleur]

This one has been a doozy.  I sold a 'for parts' laptop worth $100 on August 13th to a buyer and shipped it out the next day using USPS priority mail.  A few days later, the buyer messaged me because the tracking said "Undeliverable as addressed" and then "Fowarded" (I used the eBay shipping label and didn't change anything in the buyer's default address).  After communicating back and forth a bit, I was told that the buyer doesn't speak english making matters a bit difficult.  I called the post office about the package being undeliverable and forwarded and found that it was on its way to the right address.  I let the buyer know and thought it was the end of that but now wondered if the buyer even knew that what he bought was 'for parts' only and not in working condition.  

A few days later, the tracking said "Delivered, left with individual" on August 25th but I received a message on the 29th from the buyer that he received just a USPS notice, not the laptop and didn't elaborate on it so I just assumed the package was still at the PO.  I was suspicious at this point but tried to help out.  His local USPS refused to pick up any phone calls so I advised him to go to ask about his package.  To make matters even more complicated, I find out the buyer doesn't live in the US and receives his eBay purchases through a private carrier.  Almost a week later, I get a picture that shows that their carrier received a package with a "We Care" USPS slip that states the package is damaged or missing.  

The buyer has over a hundred 100% feedback so I want to give him the benefit of the doubt but can't help feel something is fishy, whether its with USPS, the buyer himself or his private carrier.  I've been trying to look at similar situations and the consensus seems to be to give a full refund since it's my responsibility to get the package in one piece to the buyer.  I've heard USPS horror stories but it's hard to believe they would handle packages this badly without even letting the sender know.  Do I just take the loss, issue a refund and file a claim for the $50 priority mail insurance? 

[southern*sweet*tea]

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sneezlelefleur wrote: 

Do I just take the loss, issue a refund and file a claim for the $50 priority mail insurance? 

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Yes.

I'm assuming that IS the package you sent? If so, refund the buyer and then file the insurance, which may be denied due to inadequate packaging.  If that laptop wasn't double boxed, it wasn't packaged securely enough. Was it damaged, or supposedly missing?

And ALL buyers - the good, the bad, and the ugly - have 100% feedback. There is no physical way to leave a neg for a buyer.

[swenson8781]

ALL buyers have 100% feedback, that's irrelevant anymore.  

Who sent you the picture of the item?

Who delivered the item to your buyer, USPS? If not, then who?

When tracking stated 'delivered, left with individual', did someone sign for it, or was it just left with an individual standing around?

Did they verify it was the 'individual' that it was addressed to?

You mention your buyer doesn't speak English, and that USPS seems to have damaged it, and that a private carrier was involved.  Without knowing what order everything happened, or WHO has handled the item along the way (which can help with determining who could be responsible, or where the contents might have gone), it's hard to provide you with assistance 🙂 

[dtexley3]

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@sneezlelefleur wrote:

 To make matters even more complicated, I find out the buyer doesn't live in the US and receives his eBay purchases through a private carrier.  Almost a week later, I get a picture that shows that their carrier received a package with a "We Care" USPS slip that states the package is damaged or missing.  

The buyer has over a hundred 100% feedback so I want to give him the benefit of the doubt but can't help feel something is fishy, whether its with USPS, the buyer himself or his private carrier.  

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Did the package arrive at the address YOU shipped it to?  If so you are not responsible for what happened while it was in the possession of the "private carrier".  Call CS and request this be closed in your favor as the buyer had a secondary agent receive the item and deliver it to them.  As long as USPS shows delivered, you should be good.

ALL buyers have 100% feedback as sellers can't leave anything but positive feedback.

[bubbleman2010]

Not your problem package was redirected to a different location than what was displayed  in their user info used for shipping...

[sneezlelefleur]

It seems to be the package.  It seems the buyer knows about as much as I do due to his 'carrier' but I think it is probably missing.  The laptop was not double boxed but was snug inside the package with bubble wrap so it shouldn't have moved around at all.

[sneezlelefleur]

The buyer sent me the picture through an eBay message.  I think USPS delivered the package to some sort of person or company who then sends it to the buyer.  The tracking just says 'Your item was delivered to an individual at the address at 2:03 pm on August 25, 2017 in ____ (zipcode where the package was supposed to be delivered).  The buyer didn't give any more information besides what I've shared.

[sneezlelefleur]

Yes, the package supposedly arrived at his 'carrier' or the address it was suppose to ship to. I don't know if it is the fault of the USPS or secondary agent though because of the "We care" USPS notification so I'm not sure how it would play out. The buyer has yet to open any case, I was just wondering how to approach this situation.

[dande2016]

100% feedback for a buyer means NOTHING!  All buyers have 100% feedback.

Who is to say that note with with this package, maybe he has pulled this before.  FB doesn't tell that.

He used a forwarder to get his package.  You are not responsible.  Tell him to take it up with his freight forwarder.  When he uses them he loses all MBG.

[bigchief2472000]

I notice there's a crease in the box running through the label.  If the laptop fit snugly in the box like you said, I don't think it would've got creased like that.  So it's very likely that it did get lost or stolen in transit.  You also said it arrived to it's destination on the 25th and you received a message from the buyer on the 29th stating there was nothing in the box, so I'm pretty sure your buyer didn't have it reshipped to a different country and receive it in 4 days.

I received an empty box from a seller before that the post office had stamped with something like "Item received without contents".  The package had been delayed in transit for several days and somehow the contents came up missing, but USPS taped the box up, stamped it, and delivered it anyway.  I was able to get my money back and the seller got reimbursed on the insurance claim, but it was a month long process dealing with USPS.  They will want pictures of the packaging as well as that note that was inside and may want the recipient to bring the packaging into the local post office for inspection.

Go ahead and get the ball rolling on the insurance claim and see if they have any package weights during transit to try and determine where it came up missing at.  I would try to put off refunding the buyer until you can determine for sure that it was delivered empty, but if the buyer gets ebay involved, you might not be given enough time to figure that out.

[retrose1]

The USPS is a lot more professional than inserting a bad xerox copy of something that doesn't even look like an official form.

I'd let the buyer know that you are filing a rifled/stolen package report with the PO and that they will be investigating the buyers mail carrier and address.  And that you need more pics of the other stamps and forms the PO places on the package when contents are missing for the report.

If there is no dispute yet, wait until there is one.  Letting them know that you are going to start reporting them might get them to back off.

[centexcompsvcs]

Does the picture of the box that he sent you on ebay have your address or is it blacked-out? Honestly, everything about  your buyer's claim sounds suspicious. I suspect a scam is in the works.   The fact that it was forwarded from the address given on PayPal, should protect  if  your buyer files a claim.  It was delivered at  the Paypal payment address, and what happened from that point is not on you. Buyer needs to address the problem with  the "individual  that package was left with", not you.

[sneezlelefleur]

It looked like my label.  I just blacked it out for privacy.  The package somehow ended up in a zipcode different from the PayPal address and was then forwarded to the correct zipcode, I think this was most likely a mistake on USPS' part but I'm not even sure anymore.  

[bigchief2472000]

I'm thinking USPS is at fault on this one.  I'd be willing to give the buyer the benefit of the doubt so far.  I did a google image search for "USPS received without contents" and saw some images of a letter just like what's in the picture the buyer sent to you.  The package I received was a small flat rate box and it had a red stamp on it just like this...

I never opened the box, so I don't know if there was a letter inside.  I took it to my local post office still sealed up and let them verify that it had the stamp on it and note the condition and weight of the box.  Then once the seller initiated the insurance claim process, USPS requested that I turn it over to the PO, so I did.

[sneezlelefleur]

I've filed an insurance and missing mail claim so far.  Hopefully USPS will look into it and by luck it'll turn up or if not, I will receive at least some money back.  I'll see if the buyer can get more pictures of the package to see if there is a stamp or any other evidence that the contents are missing before issuing a refund.  I still remain somewhat suspicious of the poorly printed piece of paper as one of the repliers noted.